1. Technical Field
The invention relates to drumsticks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Musicians use drumsticks to play instruments such as drums, cymbals, chimes, xylophones, etc. The prior art teaches several variations on drumsticks to make the grip more comfortable, but none of the references discloses a drumstick with a removable grip having an apex portion and a load face portion designed to ergonomically fit the profile of a user's two fingers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,194 to Simpson (hereinafter Simpson), discloses position rings for drumsticks to assist the drummer in holding onto the sticks, to help properly position the drummer's hand on the stick, and for providing comfort in the gripping area. The patent discloses a detachable pair of rings which may be positioned on each drumstick at positions preferred by the user. However, the O-rings in Simpson are positioned by means of holes that are formed in the drumstick. They cannot be positioned at any location on the drumstick. Also, there is no discussion as to how to make the rings ergonomically fit the user's hand.
U.S. Patent Application 2006/0027073 by Richard (hereinafter Richard) discloses a drumstick including a plurality of rings forming ridges designed to circumferentially encompass a drumstick. This is described as an ergonomic drumstick. Richard teaches that the drumstick grip may be adjustable to provide greater comfort to the drummer's hand and that it may be removable to allow it to be transferred from one drumstick to another. The types of drumstick grips shown in the Richard application are rings and spiral wraps. The rings and wraps are not ergonomically designed to mate with a drummer's fingers. Specifically, the Richard design does not describe how a ring may fit between a user's two fingers such that the fingers will engage ergonomically with the grip. Richard does not disclose a grip having a load face portion and an apex portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,339 to Brennan (hereinafter Brennan) discloses a triangular sleeve which is either slipped over the end of the drumstick or slipped over the drumstick which has been milled to receive the triangular grip. Brennan does not teach a grip which ergonomically engages two of a drummer's fingers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,768 to Swift describes a rubber ball mounted on a drumstick shaft to provide a grip to be held in the palm of the hand as in a ball of a ball and socket joint. This grip is designed to be held in the palm of the hand rather than between two fingers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,470 to Larrain discloses drumsticks which have serially disposed length portions of reducing diameter from the butt end to the tip end of the drumstick. Grooves are formed around and in the handle end to improve the grip of the drummer. These are manufactured into the drumstick and are not adjustable. Also, like the other inventions, these drumsticks are not designed to ergonomically engage the fingers of a user's hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,583 to Mizuno, et al. describes a drumstick including an elastic component forming a handle used for holding the stick. The elastic component appears to aid the drummer's grip and also to absorb some of the vibration of playing the instrument. However, the elastic component is not removable, and it cannot be adjusted in different positions on the stick. Additionally, the elastic component does not ergonomically engage the fingers of a user's hand.